Take Me Out to the Ball Game

The original recording of the classic song, Take Me Out to the Ball Game, was first recorded in 1908 by Edward Meeker. The lyrics were a free bit of publicity for the snack, as the lyrics include the line "buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack". It became synonymous with American sportsmanship and patriotism, and the song proves to be a unifier within the sphere of sports as well as American ideals in general. 

This notion of coming together under American nationalism can be deceiving, clearly so for families like the Joads. After coming to California in hopes of jobs and assimilating into the state, they were shunned and bullied by those who lived there before the arrival of the Okies. It is clear that songs and snacks like these would have been a means of escapism for those struggling to get by each day.